News

October8, 2012

Coaching Youth to an Influential Victory (Win or Lose)

You might not know the first thing about a sport. “Kick the basketball at the goalie?” you ask. But even if you have little athletic ability or experience, it doesn’t mean you can’t succeed at having a positive influence in the lives of youth through sports coaching. If you don’t know much, call in some reinforcements and brush up through books or online tools. You’ll be ready to coach in no time. So grab a whistle, throw on your athletic gear and get ready to help youth succeed both now and in the long run.

Channel Your Role Model
Think of a person that has made an impact on your life. Images of a parent, teacher or coach who have taught life lessons and values are most likely at the top of the list. Whoever it may be, think about the qualities that made them a role model. It was probably something about their character, qualities or values that made them role model worthy. Now incorporate ways to harness those qualities as a coach.

Remember that a role model is born simply by accepting the position. Whether your actions are good or bad, youth can easily pick up on the signals. That’s why your actions are important at all times. Screaming at the referees or being a sore loser will only trigger those bad habits in the youth. But by acting graciously no matter the outcome and always offering an encouraging tone, the youth will also follow your lead.

Win or Lose, They’ll Still Learn
Some of the best coaches aren’t remembered for their winning streak. Instead, they are remembered because of the lessons they taught their players along the way. That means you don’t have to be an all-star athlete to succeed as a coach. As long as you’re teaching the youth teamwork and other important skills to better themselves, you’ll see not only a transformation in their athleticism but also a development in their character. You’ll feel great watching the players grow both on and off the field.

Let the Good Times Roll
Think of tee-ball games or the first age group in soccer. Kids are running around, not paying attention and probably playing the game all wrong. But the looks on their faces are priceless. That’s because they’re having fun. It can be difficult to keep an elevated level of fun as the age groups progress.

As children get older so does their competitive drive. That’s why it’s important to make sure to incorporate fun activities at practice. Try games and exercises that are different from the normal workouts to ensure that the players are still having fun. That way, you can keep their interest piqued. If you can help them have fun and succeed now then they’ll be more likely to want to keep playing in the future.